There is only one real rule: If you like a food and wine pairing, it works. If peanut butter and Sauvignon Blanc tickles your fancy, go with it. Simple as that! (But you might want to get friends something else to drink … )

In fact, there are some simple ‘guidelines’ that can help you navigate this complex, often daunting, task of wine and food pairing. And knowing some of these basics can also get you away from that old adage that you can serve only white wine with fish and red wine with meat. One has far more options than that.

Here they are:

ONE: PLACE. Is there a traditional food for that wine region? Chances are high the local wine will go very well with that! Oysters with briny Muscadet sur Lie, elegant Pauillac with roast lamb, Chianti with pasta e fagioli …

TWO: STRUCTURE, or how the wine ‘feels’ in the mouth. This gets into the real ‘science’ of food pairing, and includes acidity, sweetness, weight (or body), tannins.